Crono and the Crimson Mercenaries
by DarkCrono915
Summary: This is the tale of a brave Myrmidon who is on a journey to find purpose greater then being a superior swordsman. Leave me a review or message of a character and I will add them to the story! See my intro for more details!
1. An Introduction

Crono walked into the busy tavern, hoping to get a drink and find a few able body mercenaries to join his cause. The spikey red haired Myrmidon wasn't used to working with others, but for this particular job, he knew he needed a solid team. This particular pub was known for hosting the toughest of the tough. His eyes looked around at all the tables scanning to see if any warriors jumped out at him. He would need a small band. He didn't have much money, and the job was a tough one...so things weren't looking to his favor!

Would the brave swordsman be able to find any to join his quest?

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 **A/N:** _Ok this is the start of a story. The trick is I'd like you to help me with the characters! In a review or message drop me a character bio, and I'll try to include them into my band of mercenaries! If I got TONS of responses, I may have some to join the gang later on and not exactly in the next chapter...if I just get a few, we will go from there._

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 _Here's a rough template of what I'd expect in your character suggestion (Feel free to elaborate)_

 **Name:** Crono Dorwind

 **Class:** Myrmidon

 **Physical Description:** Crono has red spikey hair, with a white bandana, and wears a blue tunic with yellow pants. He has a white sash, where he keeps his katana always ready for battle. His sword is well crafted, but his clothing is a bit tattered and old. He has royal blue eyes that show his passion and dedication.

 **Personality:** Crono is a natural leader. He believes in people and is willing to give most a chance. He is trusting at first, but if wronged he has a hard time getting over that barrier. He travels the world taking odd jobs as a mercenary trying to find his place, his meaning, and something greater then what he sees. Crono tries to find the good in a broken world, and seeks to find good in himself, despite the bad circumstances he was brought up in.

 **Backstory:** His father is Aaron, one of the greatest sword masters of all and the founder of the Silver Sword, a group feared across the land as some of the greatest assassins and warriors. Crono grew up with a sword in his hand, learning to fight in the ways of the Silver Sword. As a teenager, he had already showed skilled that surpassed many of his father's most elite swordsmen and women. In a mission, he was called to kill an heir to the throne of a certain land, and when Crono learned the heir was a small child he could not bring himself to slay someone so defenseless. Crono knew that disobeying an order in the order of the Silver Sword meant certain death. Should his father show any kind of mercy on him due to their relation, Crono also knew this would be a reason for the other warriors to question his leadership, which very well could lead in an uprising that would cost his father his life. Seeing neither option as opportune, Crono ran from his family and class order, with much of his training unfinished, to find life outside of the Silver Sword.

 **Are you okay with this character being a villain?** No

 **Are you okay with this character potentially dying?** No

 _(That's just an example of a template...you can go in more or less detail if you want!)_


	2. The City of Kahl

**Chapter One**

 **The City of Kahl**

 ** _Right before Crono Enters the Tavern looking for Warriors..._**

The Spikey Red Haired Myrmidon entered the port city of Kahl knowing he couldn't stay in town long. He needed a boat for himself and his companion and he needed one quickly. Crono observed his friend, cloaked in a dark purple robe with the hood covering his head completely. The challenge would be getting him into a boat and out of town without raising any questions or suspicions. Or at least, with as little suspicion as having a mysterious robed companion would be.

"So we're just getting a transport and shipping out right?" The robed youth spoke to his guardian. "How hard can that be, right?"

"Getting out of here will be the easy part..." Crono said grimly, as he observed the city to see what it had to offer. The entrance of Kahl stood on a top hill, so from the front gate swordsman dressed in blue could see everything. "Where we go once we're at sea, that's going to be the challenge. I'm afraid if your set on the course of action, Kyle, we have got a long road ahead of us."

"I'm up for it." Kyle replied, his voice young and innocent. "Are you?"

"I told you I'd have your back, always." Crono replied looking at his friend, "And I meant it...but I think we are going to need more then me. To get to where we need to go, we're going to need some help...which won't be cheap."

Crono frowned as he thought about their current income situation...which was nonexistent. To successfully fulfill the job they had ahead of them, they would need an elite team of adventurers. Sadly, those didn't come cheap, and money was something that Crono and Kyle didn't have currently. What little resources they had, were used to get them to where they are now. It wouldn't be long before Kyle's absence was noticed, which means they needed to leave this part of the region very soon.

Crono gazed upon the city to see a tavern in the center. He smiled as a little ray of hope came to him. This particular tavern was called the _Wandering Horseman_ , and it had the reputation of being a central meeting place for skilled warriors of several types to find work and fortune. Sure, they would be expecting payment, but Crono knew he had found a spot that would have the skill he was looking for. The challenge then was making his job sound like one that would bring in riches. Having traveled several years as a wandering mercenary, Crono knew that with other sellswords, only money talks. They would not be compassionate to a good cause, or the reason for the importance of the job being "the fate of the world may depend on it." He would have to seriously spin his sales pitch to make anyone else interested in joining his cause. But Kyle's fate, and arguably the fate of so many more, desperately depended on the quest Crono had before him.

"Alright then..." Crono settled on a course of action, "I'm going to go try to get us some help, and you are going to go hide in that dark alley there. Remember, don't talk to anyone, and stay put."

"I'm not a child you know..." Kyle replied, somewhat annoyed at Crono's tone. "And I feel fine...no urges, or you know...problems."

"That's good..." Crono replied, as he walked towards the tavern "Let's keep it that way! Remember, head down and stay out of trouble."

"Will you be long?" Kyle asked, but Crono was to far down the hill to hear him. "Well...I guess I'll go mind the shadows he comes back. I hope he isn't gone long...it's worst when I am alone...Crono knows that though...He knows..."

Unknown to the two adventurers, a third wanderer stood at a distance and watched them both with much interest. This particular traveler had come from a far, far away land, and while he was in town as a bit of a retreat, he could not help but notice the two enter the town. The wanderer had a very detailed history in adventure, mysticism, and wars. He had rubbed elbowed with kings, sorcerers, and some of the world's greatest warriors, many of which he had learned to call friends. He was no stranger to great power himself, and had left his home to find a temporary release from the great responsibilities that had become his life. However, when he noticed the man in dark purple robes, it wasn't his strange garb that was alarming, it was the dense, dark, and overwhelming energy that flowed around and within him. To an unmystic eye, such an aura was invisible, but to anyone in tune with anima or divinity, it was quite a ferocious scent.

The mystic wanderer was curious how one so young, seemingly so innocent, could contain such a evil aura. The blue haired man with a long black tacticians coat scratched his head as he pondered this youth. In his years as a great war hero, he had become quite skilled at picking out the villainous and vile. It was hard for those with bad intent to get past this particular traveler. With that said, he did not sense evil or maliciousness from the robed young man with the terrible magic aura.

The traveler also wondered, why the swordsman was with him? Did he not know the overwhelming darkness that permeated the atmosphere when the young one was present? How did these two know each other, and what was their intent? As his eyes went to the swordsman entering the tavern, they noticed the katana at his waist. In his travels and on his journeys, this seasoned adventurer had heard of such mystic blades as the one Crono carried. One thing was for sure about this Myrmidon, the bystander thought. He was in fact not an average swordsman, but one of great merit and from a very rare line of warriors.

"Perhaps I will follow the young swordsman into the tavern." The wanderer thought, "I would like to hear more about this quest that these two are on. Either these two are in terrible danger, or they are about to unleash something very evil. It may be in everyone's best interest if I make myself present for this situation."

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 _ **Please share your reviews and thoughts! Also feel free to send me a character idea, that's part of what makes this story fun is that YOU help me with the characters! Special thanks to DisneyFan365 for offering me one of his characters! You have seen a little of him in this chapter, and you will see more details (like the name!) in the next. If you'd like to enter in a character for me to use in the story, please check the introduction for how to do so!**_


	3. Gabriel the Pessimistic Survivor

**Chapter II**

 **Gabriel, the Pessimistic Survivor**

Crono walked into the busy tavern, hoping to get a drink and find a few able body mercenaries to join his cause. The spikey red haired Myrmidon wasn't used to working with others, but for this particular job, he knew he needed a solid team. This particular pub was known for hosting the toughest of the tough. His eyes looked around at all the tables scanning to see if any warriors jumped out at him. He would need a small band. He didn't have much money, and the job was a tough one...so things weren't looking to his favor.

Crono found a seat at the bar next to a man tossing back several drinks, as if he had just the worst days ever. Crono examined the man from head to toe. The first thing he noticed was the strong stench of alcohol radiating from him. The second thing he noticed was that this average sized fellow really seemed to like to dress in layers. he first layer of actual clothing was a white long sleeved shirt and black cotton pants that were tucked into leather boots that went half way up to his knees. The second layer consisted of a black vest that he wore closed. He also had a strange assortment of belts that crisscross along his legs, with several kinds of small satchels attached to the belts. The final layer is a heavy black cloak with a hood. Crono looked closer at the man's clothing to see that underneath his cloak, and all over his body, he was concealing a great assortment of knives. While Crono maybe hadn't caught him on his best day, he was certain the fellow sitting beside him was some kind of adventurer with fighting experience, and a perhaps a prime candidate for what the Myrmidon needed.

So, uh..." Crono started the conversation with the stranger, who had tossed back about 5 shots since Crono had sat down. "It looks like you've had a pretty rough day?"

"You know what!" The man yelled back at the bartender, who was tending to the other side of the bar, "Just leave me an entire bottle...maybe two, if you can spare it."

"Then the drunk noticed Crono had spoken to him and he turned to look the swordsman in the eye, or to try to in his current state. Crono noticed he had long black hair, tied in a pony tail, light brown eyes, and a scar on his face that went across the base of his nose and under his right eye.

"I'm sorry were you saying something?" The man spoke to Crono.

"Yeah, I wanted to know what was going on with you? You look like a guy with a story?" Crono asked the adventurer.

"A story..." He responded, laughing and making a drunk hiccup as he laughed. "Yeah, I got a story! It's called, everyone around me always dies. Let's see...I'm the main character in it...and then there are all these other side characters, and they always die...the end."

"Do you...ever do the killing?" Crono asked, recognizing his clothing and figure as that of a thief or an assassin.

"Most definitely I do..." the man replied, as he waved his hand in an introductory fashion. "I am Gabriel the Swift, if you need it stolen, killed, or blown up...I'm your guy! I just uhhh...don't make such a good bar drinking buddy sadly. Everyone and everything I touch seems to wind up dead. Sometimes its me and sometimes...its not. I guess you could say a guy like me has a lot of enemies."

"I can relate." Crono replied with a smile, feeling like he was making way with building a relationship with the stranger. Perhaps this could be his first hired mercenary. "I know a thing or two about people close to me being in danger, or dying. I have a job that could use a man of your particular skill set. It's dangerous, we will be crossing many folks that want to kill us...but you look like you're a survivor, and so am I."

"Oh there it is!" Gabriel spoke as he rolled his eyes and took another drink, "Gone are the days when a man just sits next to another and begins a friendly conversation over mead. Now it's always "Hey I need you for this job," or "Hey can you kill this guy?"

Crono paused, not knowing what to say to this cynical and very pessimistic comment.

Gabriel sighed as he put down his drink for a moment and looked back at Crono, "Ok then, what is this job you speak of?"

At once Crono pulled out a tattered map of the region and unrolled it on the bar. The map had a rex X on a spot in the ocean. "It's pretty simple really...I mean, if you take out the obvious threats and challenges in between. Basically I have a package...and we need to take it to a hidden city that very few people know about, that is right here. See? I marked it on the map. That's basically it."

Gabriel looked at the map, looked at Crono, looked back at the map, raised his eye brows questionably, and then looked back at Crono once more.

"That's it?" Gabriel repeated. "Easy Peazy...just drop off the package, and then go home."

"Well I mean...there might be a fair degree of..." Crono paused to think of the most diplomatic word. "Tension."

"Ok let's see..." Gabriel began his list of problems he had with this story. "You wouldn't be talking to me if this job didn't have a lot probable "tension" so let me ask you this...would we run into resistance dropping this "package" off?"

"Yes." Crono replied honestly, "A whole lot."

"Right..." Gabriel nodded his head, "And this is a huge journey, mostly sea bound. A man dressed in your rags with nothing but a fancy sword...do you have enough resources to get a vessel and enough food and supplies to make the journey?"

"Well, I'm working on that..." Crono replied, "We're still in the very early planning stages but I..."

"You're working on it, got it..." Gabriel interrupted, his tone showing no signs of faith in any of Crono's ability as he had presented himself so far. "Oh, and then there is the obvious question. This mark you made on the map, to the city...there is nothing there!"

"Right..." Crono agreed, as Gabriel raised his eye brows once more. "I mean, there isn't...but there is. Supposedly."

"Supposedly?"

"Yeah...like I said it's a hidden city." Crono spoke, realizing the stupidity of his own words. "Meaning, we have to find it."

"Right..." Gabriel shook his head in disbelief at this ridiculous journey. "So let me see if I got all the details...You want the two of us to sail halfway across the world, on a journey that you can't yet pay for, braving very real peril and danger not just from pirates of the high seas, but of some known threat that I have yet to have asked about, to deliver a package to a city that isn't on a map, and may or may not exist but supposedly does...Do I have all the details spot on so far?"

"You did say you were a survivor..." Crono shrugged, "It seems to me like you're overqualified, right?"

"I can't believe I am asking this..." Gabriel sighed once more, ashamed that he even for a moment was considering the crazy swordsman's job. "What does the pay look like?"

"Well, I don't have money per say..." Crono replied honestly, "But we will be traveling through many perilous areas with untold treasures...how about a 60/40 split, you of course get the sixty?"

"Thank you but no thank you." The thief got up from the table, and patted Crono on the back. "Good luck with your suicide job...oh no, job implies that people would be getting paid. I guess I meant to say...Good luck on your suicide, charity event!"

Crono watched as Gabriel walked out the door. The swordsman continued to drink his ale accepting that Gabriel's reaction was exactly what he expected to happen. If Crono's "package" wasn't a dear friend, and if he hadn't sworn an oath to protect Kyle, there is no way he would be doing what he was doing now. The Myrmidon's eyes continued to wander the tavern looking for possible candidates for the job. In the shadows Crono saw an older fellow with short blue hair staring back at him in a black tactician's coat. Crono thought it was weird that this man was looking at him. Could he possibly be someone Crono could enlist the help of? Crono shook his head, pushing away the idea. One look at the man and his fancy clothing and age told the swordsman that he would probably have to take turns protecting Kyle and him.

Through the tavern doors, a portly fellow entered. He hadn't a tough looking bone in him, and he seemed highly nervous to be entering a warrior's den such as the Wandering Horseman. He pulled out a piece of parchment, cleared his throat, and addressed the entire room loudly and nervously.

"Ex...Excuse me." The short fat man spoke, "I hate to bother you, but this stranger outside gave me one hundred gold coins to enter this exact tavern and read you this note...It shall only take a second of your time. "Attention warriors of the Wandering Horseman. A thief by the name of Gabriel wearing a black cloak and lots of layers of clothing just left your bar. Three thousand gold coins will be paid to the mercenary who apprehends this lowlife thief, ends his life, and brings his head back into the tavern." That's it...that's all the note said, now if you excuse me..."

The portly fellow nervously backed away slowly, and then ran out of the tavern. Crono watched as various conversations broke out among the warriors and mercenaries, and little by little the entire tavern's worth of sellswords left their plates and drinks to go outside and try to find the thief.

"By the looks of him I am sure Gabriel can take care of himself." Crono thought to himself, "I have to find others to join my quest...He'll be fine..." The Crimson Mercenary's eyes drifted to the ten shots and half a bottle of mead, "He'll be fine fighting off hoards of mercenaries...with all that alcohol in his system."

From outside, Crono heard a loud gruff manly voice cry out. "There he is! There's the thief, lets get him!"

Crono cussed silently to himself knowing what he had to do. He unsheathed his katana and rushed out the tavern doors.

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Meanwhile, in the shadows of the tavern the wanderer who had followed Crono into the tavern watched the swordsman run out. He was very impressed with the Myrmidon's strength of character and courage. But could he fight? A man so sold on doing such a journey as he described must be a valiant and well trained warrior, or at least he better be if he had the hope to be successful in his quest. Iniabi, the great sorcerer of legend from a far away land finished his drink quickly and made his way out of the tavern. He would be a mere spectator and see what the young man could do in battle for now, and perhaps the hero would step in if need be.

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 **Thoughts so far? Post them in a review! Remember its never to late to submit me a character! Also, thank you to DestructoKat for the character of Gabriel. For more of him and Iniabi (thanks again DisneyFan365!), check out the next chapter when it is uploaded!**


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